1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for processing algae cultivation fluid, and more particularly, to systems and methods adapted to reduce an amount of unwanted living organisms within an algae cultivation fluid. According to some embodiments, the systems and methods may be adapted to reduce an amount of unwanted living organisms within the algae cultivation fluid to more efficiently produce algae cells that are utilized in the manufacture of products such as biodiesel fuel.
2. Description of Related Art
Algae cells are typically grown in open-air systems, such as raceway reactors, and/or in closed systems, such as photobioreactors, which may utilize tanks. Because raceway reactors are open to the elements, the algae cells contained therein are highly susceptible to contamination from unwanted living organisms such as bacteria and or other living organisms that consume the algae cells or compete with the algae cells for nutrients. It will be understood that the terms “unwanted living organisms” may also be known generically as “grazers,” because of their propensity to consume the algae cells, the nutrients that the algae cells consume, or both. Photobioreactors, while less likely to be contaminated with grazers because they are closed systems, are substantially more expensive to manufacture and maintain than raceway reactors.
It will be understood that because the algae cells within the algae cultivation fluid require sunlight to drive photosynthesis, algae cells growing near the surface of the algae cultivation fluid may aggregate and block the sunlight needed by algae cells disposed below. As such, the algae cultivation fluid may be mixed or otherwise communicated to help distribute the sunlight through the algae cultivation fluid.
If the algae cells within the algae cultivation fluid are provided sufficient sunlight, inorganic chemicals, and or other beneficial minerals (e.g., nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, etc.), the algae cells may proliferate and may be harvested via any suitable method that would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art with the present disclosure before them. Therefore, it is desirable that unwanted living organisms that may compete with the algae cells for food (e.g., minerals and inorganic chemicals) or directly consume the algae cells should be substantially reduced, if not completely eliminated. If the population of unwanted living organisms within the algae cultivation fluid is not controlled, issues relative to the collapse of algae cell populations may occur. For example, the unwanted living organisms may consume the algae cells, leading to a crash of the pond. In general, the term “crash” may indicate that over time, the amount of algae cells may decrease to a point where the pond does not have enough algae cells for the predators to consume, so that the predators die off. Therefore, the systems and methods disclosed herein are adapted to reduce the amount of unwanted living organisms within the algae cultivation fluid.